A gradual liberation of images from the order of perception has continued since the birth of photography together with the development of electronic, as well as multimedia recording tools. This constitutes the main argument of the presentation.Yet, mechanical and electronic recording devices may not unconditionally be treated as successors of the previously held tradition of image representation. To illustrate this, photography since its advancement has played a double role. First – as it continues the European painting tradition – it nurtures the correspondence between the image and the natural way of perception. Secondly – as a phenomenon beyond this correspondence it frees images from the responsibility to respect the order of perception. This is how photography is often used in contemporary art. In a later section I present selected works by contemporary Polish artists where the liberation of images from the order of perception has found its most engaging expression. → Both social and historical background causes certain cultural differences to occur in this undoubtedly universal process. I divide this process into three stages: → 1. Mechanical representation enriches our natural perception of reality, yet remains in harmony with it. → 2. Mechanical representation crosses the border of our natural perception of reality never to return to it. → 3. Our natural perception of reality becomes our image perception. [...]
